Monday, February 25, 2013

RevGalBookPals: I Heart Sex Workers.

You
might ask, if everything was equal, everyone had shelter, food, clothing, and
jobs they loved, would people still sell sex? In all honesty, I believe they
would. Some people sell sex because of sexual desire. Some people would sell
sex to get one step further up the food chain. Some people would sell sex
because they like it.

If
everything was equal, though, the desperation around sex work would diminish.
Sex works would be less likely to trade sex in risky situations. They’d be less
likely to ignore their inner voice that says, “Run!” when a client is violent.
They’d be less likely to have sex without a condom and risks HIV/AIDS and
sexually transmitted infections. They’d be less likely to get into coercive
relationship with pimps and more likely to keep more of their earnings. (44)

By
the time I reached page 44 in I Heart Sex Workers, I was completely drawn into the powerfully compelling book. I will
read almost anything that’s sex positive, particularly from a fellow RevGal, and
I’d been anticipating Lia Scholl’s book for months before I was able to get my
hands on it. Yet, I could not have imagined how this book would challenge my
(allegedly open) worldview and encourage me to reflect deeply on my own views
regarding sex work, sex workers, and sex purchasers- along with a whole host of
other topics.

Paragraphs
like the one above are carefully worded to bring the reader along a path of
self-discovery that Scholl clearly traveled herself in her own years of
assisting sex workers. Each book section begins with a midrash around a woman
from Scripture who might have been involved in selling sex- either as result of
her own choices or because of someone else’s choices. The creative telling of
the stories of Tamar, Rahab, Hadassah (Esther), and the woman at the well set
the stage for Scholl to explain various aspects of sex work and to expand the
reader’s understanding of agency. Sex work is not a black and white world with
clear causes and clear solutions.

As
mentioned above, people enter sex work for a variety of reason. Scholl makes
clear that while sex trafficking is a real and genuine issue, it is not the
most frequent cause or result of people choosing to trade sex. Sex trafficking
might not even be the most pressing issue in your community with regard to sex
work. Scholl writes that well-meaning people who want to help sex workers need
to think beyond the parameters of trading sex.

If
there is no poverty, women cannot be duped into sexual slavery. If there is no
discrimination, sexual minorities can get high-paying jobs to support their
families. If there is not greed, then governmental and societal safety nets can
help those in real need.

Want to “solve” the
sex industry? Seek to understand its multiple layers. Begin to understand the
sexism, racism, ageism, transphobia, and discrimination against individuals
with mental illnesses. Be sure to note the way those layers intersect with
class, agency, and opportunities. (44)

As
individuals and groups reflect on their reactions to sex work in the community,
it is important to consider both why different individuals are trading sex and
what the correct response is. Knee-jerk responses like criminalizing the sex
worker or setting up pyramids of rewards for “leaving” sex work do not actually
address underlying issues and also do not respect the agency of people who
choose to trade sex. A better approach to relational work with persons who
trade sex is called “harm reduction”, Scholl explains.

Harm
reduction works to minimize harmful effects, not ignore or condemn them. Harm
reduction doesn’t believe that the circumstances of someone’s life are
monolithic or black and white… It takes into account that there is potential
and actual harm that comes from all of life’s experiences. Harm reductionists
believe that “everything is overdetermined”, meaning that there are multiple
factors that bring a person to where they are today… Harm reduction sees
individuals as the primary agents in deciding their futures and sees to empower
them by sharing information. Recognizing agency and not treating individuals as
victims is very important. Victims don’t have agency. Survivors do. (143f)

The
discussion of harm reduction may be some of the most stunning writing in the
book. Scholl’s reflections on the relationships between any two parties, particularly
between advocates and sex workers, is enlightening. Is a sex worker struggling
between fears of sexually transmitted infections and the fight to get each sex
purchaser to use protection? Scholl describes the harm reductionist as one who
would talk with the worker about offering to apply condoms with her/his mouth-
a prospect that may make a recalcitrant sex purchaser less balky about
protection. The harm reductionist understands that the worker’s current concern
is protection from infection- not leaving the trade.

By
taking the current main concern seriously, an advocate builds a relationship
with the sex worker based in the reality of the worker’s own agency and status
as a human being. It sounds very simplistic to write that sentence, but in
reading Scholl’s book, I have come to see how quickly sex workers are reduced
to their trade, their history, their experiences, or their most recent
decisions. Part of the life of faith is understanding, respecting, and
advocating for the neighbor who is most difficult for you to understand. This
advocacy is rooted love and affirmation of all persons standing in the light of
God’s grace. Scholl writes:

If
I hold you responsible for your past and assume that you will only act today in
the way you have acted in your past, do I not deny your humanity in some way?
Do I not deny you the human right to change? (112)

Whether
or not a sex worker chooses to leave the trade, she or he deserves (like all
people) to know that there is a safe place to be known and loved. Scholl’s book
is a lighthouse for any reader- illuminating dangerous shoals of assumptions
and painful missteps that may wreck the voyage of support and journeying
together. A person who chooses to stand with sex workers may well make
mistakes, as any person in any ministry does, but Scholl has written a great
guide to first steps.

Having trouble posting here - apologies if I repeat myself!I've just been to an exhibition of Toulouse-Lautrec's work and his paintings of sex workers are very moving. Unlike the triumphant characters or people of disrepute painted by his contemporaries, they are his friends and his love for them shines through. He paints women who are lovely and tired and human and supporting one another. Thanks for the book review.RevRachel

Because of the myriad of unknown or misunderstood factors involved, I am sure it takes a fierce desire and a mountain of understanding just to begin a journey into this fiery segment of society;typically eschewed as 'untouchables',these are some of God's most deserving lambs.